A council in northeast England has apologised for failing to inform parents that a childcare worker had been convicted of child sex offences. The worker, Mark Campbell, had unsupervised access to vulnerable children through his work at North Tyneside Council at the time of his offending last year. Campbell was arrested and suspended by the council after being caught sending messages to what he thought was a young teenage girl in July 2025.
Despite being informed of the arrest by the police, the council did not notify parents of the situation until they read about it in the media after Campbell was jailed for 18 months last week. One mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was 'in shock' when she found out about Campbell's crimes and felt 'physically sick' knowing he had been around her children.
Another mother, Sarah, said she felt 'so angry' at the discovery because Campbell had had unsupervised contact with her children. She expressed concerns about whether he had taken pictures of her daughter and whether the council had handled the situation properly.
The council, which is under Labour control, has said it immediately suspended Campbell after being notified of his arrest and later sacked him. Director of children's services Rebecca Wall has apologised for the situation and acknowledged the immense trust parents place in the council.